From the mind of Lord Publius

Monday, July 31, 2017

I've been watching a lot of videos on YouTube lately about shopping malls and once great retailers (K-Mart, SEARS, et al.) all shutting down or dying on the vine. There's no way to save them all. Most of them screwed themselves out of business one way or another and if they didn't, Amazon sure did. So, I got to thinking about what could be done with that kind of real-estate. For the purposes of this idea, I used a local mall in my hometown that has been slowly dying for years: The Esplanade in Kenner, LA. Here's what I would do in 12 easy steps...

6.) Use the Target being right next door as a selling point for the condominiums.

7.) The old Gamestop location on the 2nd floor near the food court & Arcade becomes the office for mall security. The Arcade remains an Arcade, but is reserved for residents of the condominiums. Condo residents will all be given a special key to access the Arcade. We may also set some (or all) of the games to free play. Food court is open to both residents and businesses on 1st floor. The movie theater behind the mall will remain open to the public and unaffected by changes at the mall.

8.) Fence off all of the parking lots, except the one by the anchor store that was once Macy's. That one will be used by the businesses on the 1st floor and their customers. The others will be reserved for residents and employees of the property management company. Each spot will be numbered and assigned to condo residents. They will be able to pay a small fee to get a closer spot to the main building. We will also probably have to build a parking garage.

9.) Turn one of the now closed anchor stores (preferably the old Dillard's location) into my Secret Hideout/Mad Scientist Laboratory/Super-villain lair... (Y'all had to know this was going to happen.)

10.) Turn the other anchor stores into more office space and/or long-term storage facilities that are open to the businesses and condo residents that have rented/leased/bought into the property.

11.) Zombie-proof the place, just in case the Zombie Apocalypse isn't complete non-sense...

12.) HOPEFULLY turn a profit.

And that's my idea. It probably wouldn't work but, it sure would be hilarious to see actually happen.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

I'm gonna be blunt here: President Trump was right to deny military service to Transgender people. He most likely did them a favor. He was advised to deny military service to Transgender people by his military advisers for numerous very good reasons, many of them logistical. I am very glad that he took their advice.However, I won't leave it there. I never have before on posts about social issues and I'm not about to start now. There will be 3 arguments made here, all against the idea of Transgenders serving in the military. The first two were found on a Facebook page that was originally started to stop Hillary Clinton from becoming President. (Thank God that mission was a success.) The final one will be my opinion on the matter. Please do not assume that these arguments are made out of malice or prejudice against Transgender people. That is not the case here. Most of the arguments are about the practical and logistical issues that Transgender soldiers could present. My argument will be about something else. All the stated opinions from the 2 anonymous soldiers are in italicized text and left totally unedited.An Active Duty Soldier comments on transgenders in the military:My unit was just briefed on the current regulations for transgender soldiers. The rules for bathrooms and barracks for a transgender TRANSITIONING do no create a clear solution or accommodation. (That last word is key, I'll get to that in a moment). As it stands now, a person with male genitalia, but full breasts, and dresses like a female, would stay in male barracks, and shower in male open bay showers. As in an open room with multiple shower heads on the wall.

As for what gender a trans soldier is graded as on the army physical fitness test, they are to be graded as their original gender until a doctor signs off that they have completed their transition. This means that a male soldier could be taking hormone suppressors to become female, but while in transition begin failing the PT test as a male because of said hormones. And this could carry on for over year. There is no accommodation for this. The soldier would be counseled and do remedial PT for failing to meet the minimum standards.

Back to that word accommodation. The military is and has to be a highly mobile force, who's soldiers can live and operate in remote locations, with minimal creature comforts. A tent with 14 cots, port-a-pottys, shower trailers with no privacy. It cannot afford to accommodate special needs. If you have asthma, you can't serve. There's nothing bad about you. You just have a special need. And the same thing goes for someone who's transgender, and especially someone who is transitioning. Serving in the military is not a RIGHT. The military is a force to PROTECT & DEFEND America. It is only for those who are the most able-bodied, and can pull their own weight without help. Needing special showers and living accommodations is an impediment to operational needs.

Maybe there's room for discussion about allowing people who have FULLY transitioned to serve. But before that happens, I believe the person has far too many special needs. And paying for transition with military money is a waste. And not why the military exists.

This soldier is absolutely correct. The needs of the Army have to come before your needs in most ways. If you have some kind of issue that makes it difficult for the Army to work with you, then you shouldn't be in uniform. That is part of the reason why I got out. I knew that being an Aspie was going to create a lot of problems for me in dealing with the Army's many social situations. In the civilian world, it's pretty manageable and I have a large degree of control over what happens in social situations. That was definitely NOT the case with the Army.

From another soldier:Correct me if I'm wrong with this; it's my understanding, gender reassignment requires a CONSTANT, LIFELONG daily hormonal regiment? You cannot serve, no one can, if you are prescribe a daily substance. I'm thinking diabetics here. Do you know ANY diabetics who serve? There is simply no guarantee that your service will be able to provide your required medications in all situations and circumstances. It's called fit for duty and I personally know many that were medically discharged after the onset of diabetes or similar constant management illnesses.

My take on this business:

In my time as a soldier, I met ONE person who turned out to be a Transgender. She wasn't a Transgender (as far as I knew) while we served together in the same unit. She is in a gay marriage to another woman and plans to transition to a man. To my knowledge, there has been no surgery or hormone treatments as of yet. I wouldn't dare ask about something that personal. She also stated on Facebook that her unit commander would shelter her from any kind of chapter process as long as possible. I don't know if the Pentagon has issued directives to all services to begin administratively removing known Transgenders in uniform.

All that being said, I have no idea why Transgenders would want to put themselves through the misery that often comes with military service. Most of the people you meet in the military are NOT nice, stable and/or well-adjusted people. Most of them are psychologically damaged somehow, either by the rigors of the job, combat-related PTSD or something else. They also typically fall into a cult-like group psychology where the needs of the unit come before EVERYTHING else, including your personal issues. That group psychology exists because it's necessary to establish good unit-cohesion/communication, which is essential in winning battles and surviving combat. They expect and demand that you have your shit together. Since mental illness and suicide rates are already sky high for Transgender folk, I can't recommend to them that they should join the uniformed services. It's a guarantee that the Army will add to their stress levels and most likely push them over the edge. I saw the Army break quite a few strong, stubborn cis-gendered people. None of them were dealing with a mental illness before that time, either.

The military already has a very big problem with suicide among the troops.

Transgender people do not need to add to that sad statistic.

No one does.

Also, the military tends to be ultra-conservative with some of its social views. Getting rid of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in 2011 was controversial enough. Even after that, I'm willing to bet most Homosexuals in uniform still kept their bedroom proclivities to themselves. It's not uncommon for hardcore Infantry types to kick the ever-lovin' shit out of someone they merely suspect of being a Homosexual. Don't bother trying to explain to them that not every Homosexual will want to sleep with them or that some of History's greatest warriors were gay. They won't care. (Alexander the Great was a known Homosexual who had gay lovers even when he was married to a woman.) In fact, you'd have an easier time trying to convince the Catholic Church to NOT be an organized crime syndicate.

So, like I said at the beginning, President Trump did Transgenders a favor. Who knows if he meant to do that but, that is still the end result. It takes a very rough kind of individual to even be considered for military service. Very few are going to make the cut. I'm not even sure how I made the cut back in 2009. Knowing what I know about it now though, I can't say I'd do it all over again. They don't like weirdos or free-thinkers. And since I'm quite the free-thinkin' weirdo... Well, I'd have to say that I never really fit, either. Had it not been for some truly desperate economic circumstances in 2009, I wouldn't have even thought about enlistment.

CONCLUSION

If you're a Transgender person that is upset about this decision, don't let it bother you too much. There are other ways you can serve the Republic without joining the military. Every community needs volunteers. Every school system I know anything about is always looking for teachers. You might even be able to mentor younger Transgenders and show them that life isn't all that horrible. You aren't in the military, you are actually allowed to both think creatively and also think for yourselves. Use that to your full advantage.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

July 9th is an interesting day. On this day in 2010, I passed that last PT test in AIT @ Fort Gordon and witnessed a miracle. And that's a long story I will have to tell later, probably on Veteran's Day.

On this day in 2014, my terminal leave ended I was officially out of the Army. So, when I wake up tomorrow, I will no longer be a 'recently separated' veteran. I'm not even sure why that was an important distinction to the VA but, it apparently meant something to them.

All I plan to do to mark that occasion is laugh at Uncle Sam for his foolishness and carry on with my daily life. Despite all the trials and tribulations, I still came out on top. Not to mention getting quite a few unexpected benefits (especially from the VA) from being one of the more insane forms of Federal Government employee...

Coincidentally (or, perhaps not so coincidentally), the sermon at church today was about going through Life's trials. The pastor used the Navy SEALs training regimen and 'Hell Week' as an example. There were several verses used to discuss trials in life but, the most important one were James 1:2-4...

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Like most people, I wouldn't have thought of any of life's trials (especially the ones I had to endure with the Army) as a good thing in any way. At least, not at the time. However, one often lacks perspective of the big picture when you're in the middle of the screwball situation in question. Besides, those verses came from a letter written by James, the oldest of Jesus' younger siblings that were born to Joseph and Mary. Who am I to try to debate someone who literally grew up with the savior, in addition to walking with him?

EDIT: 9 July 2017 1905 HRS

Just saw on Facebook that today is also the same day that KISS played in New Orleans on their 1996-97 Alive/Worldwide Reunion Tour. That as the first time I got to see my favorite band in concert. Here's a posted for that show...

Thursday, June 22, 2017

I've been on holiday or a while. However, I'll have something surprising for you all when I get back in the saddle again. Until then, since that last sentence reminded me of it, go ahead and enjoy this classic tune from Aerosmith. \m/

Monday, May 15, 2017

I have come to the conclusion that the Washington Post is Fake News. I have also concluded that they also think that the American public are all gullible retards. And that 's obviously not true since I am one of the folks who comprises the American public and they aren't fooling me for a second.

We're going to analyze one of the latest pieces of Bravo Sierra that they dare to call a news article about this 'Russian scandal' in the Trump administration so you can see why I don't trust them. You can read the original article here. Quotes from the article will be italicized and my response will be in plain text.

"President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former U.S. officials, who said Trump’s disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State."

Who are these 'current and former officials'? Why are they not named in the article? How would a former official no longer in the loop possibly know about what President Trump is doing in his meetings with foreign officials? Looks like there's a security breach being caused by a Sierra Bravo leaking things to the Press, not the President's big mouth.

"“This is code-word information,” said a U.S. official familiar with the matter, using terminology that refers to one of the highest classification levels used by American spy agencies. Trump “revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies.”"

I used to work for the Federal government and had a VERY high security clearance. No one ever used the phrase 'code-word information'. That is something that this article made up to tell a story, not report actual facts. Either that, or someone is feeding the Washington Post some false information. I wouldn't put that past the Federal Government.

"One day after dismissing Comey, Trump welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak — a key figure in earlier Russia controversies — into the Oval Office. It was during that meeting, officials said, that Trump went off script and began describing details of an Islamic State terrorist threat related to the use of laptop computers on aircraft.

For almost anyone in government, discussing such matters with an adversary would be illegal. As president, Trump has broad authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law.

White House officials involved in the meeting said Trump discussed only shared concerns about terrorism."

The President's meeting with the Russian officials was planned before he decided to dismiss Director Comey. You know that just as well as everyone else does. You are just using that coincidence to put some stink on the man and make him look bad. Politicians don't need some shitbag reporter to help them make themselves look bad. You also just admitted that President Trump can change classification of government data while also trying to make him look like a big mouth in the same damned passage. Did you not re-read and edit this article for tone and clarity at all? You're engaging in a lot of double-speak and making yourself look like damned fool.

There's nothing secret about a terrorist wanting to use a laptop to hack an airplane's flight controls and turn it into a remote-control bomb. Even a child with the most limited understanding of aircraft technology and some imagination could have figured that one out. I'd be genuinely surprised if that idea hasn't been used as a plot point in a movie or TV show like 24 or NCIS by now.

Also, since when was Russia our enemy? The Cold War has been over for more than 25 years, you partisan hacks! Get with the times! They may not be our best friends but, they sure aren't our enemy, either. You people have been trying to make the disagreement over Syria look like a war in the making for over a year now. That isn't going to happen. Quit going out of your way to scare people. Life is already frightening enough without any of your meddling, assholes.

"“The president and the foreign minister reviewed common threats from terrorist organizations to include threats to aviation,” said H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, who participated in the meeting. “At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed, and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly.”

McMaster reiterated his statement in a subsequent appearance at the White House on Monday and described the Washington Post story as “false,” but did not take any questions."

Despite being a government official, I am finding (now retired) General McMaster to be a LOT more credible than the Washington Post. That is really sad since the Washington Post is also the same paper that first revealed/investigated the Watergate Scandal. At least the General is giving me a straight answer and not claiming some anonymous, unnamed source. I get very suspicious whenever a news organization uses an unnamed source. That tells me that they have something to hide.

"In their statements, White House officials emphasized that Trump had not discussed specific intelligence sources and methods, rather than addressing whether he had disclosed information drawn from sensitive sources.

The CIA declined to comment, and the NSA did not respond to requests for comment.But officials expressed concern about Trump’s handling of sensitive information as well as his grasp of the potential consequences. Exposure of an intelligence stream that has provided critical insight into the Islamic State, they said, could hinder the United States’ and its allies’ ability to detect future threats.

“It is all kind of shocking,” said a former senior U.S. official who is close to current administration officials. “Trump seems to be very reckless and doesn’t grasp the gravity of the things he’s dealing with, especially when it comes to intelligence and national security. And it’s all clouded because of this problem he has with Russia.”"

Again, WHO ARE THESE OFFICIALS?! I want names, dammit! And why are current officials talking to former officials that do NOT have a need to know what's going on in these meetings? That is a major OPSEC violation and should result in people getting fired, losing security clearances and possibly even criminal charges!

"In his meeting with Lavrov, Trump seemed to be boasting about his inside knowledge of the looming threat. “I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day,” the president said, according to an official with knowledge of the exchange.

Trump went on to discuss aspects of the threat that the United States learned only through the espionage capabilities of a key partner. He did not reveal the specific intelligence-gathering method, but he described how the Islamic State was pursuing elements of a specific plot and how much harm such an attack could cause under varying circumstances. Most alarmingly, officials said, Trump revealed the city in the Islamic State’s territory where the U.S. intelligence partner detected the threat."

That whole exchange described tells me absolutely NOTHING about what kind of intel the Feds have or how they got it, either. For all we know, Trump might just be talking shit to play a mind game with the Russians through their ambassador here. After all, he is the supposed 'Master of 4D Chess'.

"The Post is withholding most plot details, including the name of the city, at the urging of officials who warned that revealing them would jeopardize important intelligence capabilities.

“Everyone knows this stream is very sensitive, and the idea of sharing it at this level of granularity with the Russians is troubling,” said a former senior U.S. counter-terrorism official who also worked closely with members of the Trump national security team. He and others spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the subject."

Way to cover your ass, Washington Post. However, I'm not buying that for one second. A 'former' official's name wouldn't have to be withheld unless he was doing something illegal. Considering that this guy is trying to get info on a current op and share it with the Press, chances are good that he is doing something illegal.

"At a more fundamental level, the information wasn’t the United States’ to provide to others. Under the rules of espionage, governments — and even individual agencies — are given significant control over whether and how the information they gather is disseminated, even after it has been shared. Violating that practice undercuts trust considered essential to sharing secrets."

In the end, there are no rules to espionage. You don't need to be 007 or a CIA hitman to know that... Dumbass.

Also, the agency isn't supposed to have control over the data. Elected officials are supposed to have control over the spy agencies and their data. Otherwise, the CIA would go rogue sooner or later. Considering how that agency has toppled or installed numerous regimes over the years, I really do NOT want to see what happens when they're completely out of control.

"The officials would not discuss details of those measures, but the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed that it is considering banning laptops and other large electronic devices from carry-on bags on flights between Europe and the United States. The United States and Britain imposed a similar ban in March affecting travelers passing through airports in 10 Muslim-majority countries.

Trump cast the countermeasures in wistful terms. “Can you believe the world we live in today?” he said, according to one official. “Isn’t it crazy?”"

So, everyone knew that Hajji was looking to use laptops to hijack a plane and President Trump was remarking on how that fact is so messed up and sad. Okay, why is that such an important revelation? How does that potentially endanger spies behind enemy lines? How does that compromise national security? What exactly was the point of this article again?

This kind of BULLSHIT right here is why no one believes you anymore, Washington Post. You really are a bunch of double-talkin' purveyors of FAKE NEWS.

"Senior White House officials appeared to recognize quickly that Trump had overstepped and moved to contain the potential fallout. Thomas P. Bossert, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, placed calls to the directors of the CIA and the NSA, the services most directly involved in the intelligence-sharing arrangement with the partner.

One of Bossert’s subordinates also called for the problematic portion of Trump’s discussion to be stricken from internal memos and for the full transcript to be limited to a small circle of recipients, efforts to prevent sensitive details from being disseminated further or leaked.

White House officials defended Trump. “This story is false,” said Dina Powell, deputy national security adviser for strategy. “The president only discussed the common threats that both countries faced.”"

Oh, so now you're going to finally mention a name of one of these 'officials' you're previously referred to in this article. I don't know why you waited until nearly the end of the piece but, it's nice to FINALLY see someone's name.

"Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) said he would rather comment on the revelations in the Post story after “I know a little bit more about it,” but added: “Obviously, they are in a downward spiral right now and have got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that’s happening. And the shame of it is, there’s a really good national security team in place.”

Corker also said, “The chaos that is being created by the lack of discipline is creating an environment that I think makes — it creates a worrisome environment.”

Trump has repeatedly gone off-script in his dealings with high-ranking foreign officials, most notably in his contentious introductory conversation with the Australian prime minister earlier this year. He has also faced criticism for seemingly lax attention to security at his Florida retreat, Mar-a-Lago, where he appeared to field preliminary reports of a North Korea missile launch in full view of casual diners."

What did you people ask the Senator about that he wouldn't comment on, Washington Post? Why is he even mentioned in this article at all? Shouldn't a sitting Senator's remarks have been put at the beginning of the article to add an air of legitimacy to this story?

Also, the President doesn't have to follow any script. It's probably good that he doesn't. People can tell when you're reading a script and it annoys them. That's why I put the script in my own words when I used to work as an insurance adjuster handling auto claims in State Farm call centers. I didn't want the customer to feel like he wasn't important or that I was just going through the proverbial motions. A self-made Billionaire is going to have at least that much sense when it comes to dealing with anyone that might be an ally or business partner of sorts.

As for Mar-a-Lago... Well, I have mixed feelings on that one. It probably wasn't a good move to be dealing with the North Korea stuff right there in the restaurant with the Press swarming around. That being said, would any of the 'casual diners' as you describe them really know what it was they might have overheard from the President's table? How many were even around the President's table? Knowing the Feds like I do, I doubt there were any 'casual diners' within earshot of the President's table. The Secret Service would have ensured there was quite a wide-open space between President Trump and any civilians. They like perimeters, ya know. It makes their job of protecting him that much easier.

"U.S. officials said that the National Security Council continues to prepare multi-page briefings for Trump to guide him through conversations with foreign leaders, but that he has insisted that the guidance be distilled to a single page of bullet points — and often ignores those.

“He seems to get in the room or on the phone and just goes with it, and that has big downsides,” the second former official said. “Does he understand what’s classified and what’s not? That’s what worries me.”"

Again, why are you not naming this 'former official'? Also, I don't care about what worries him if he's just getting his info from secondhand reports and conversations with former co-workers. That is not a reliable source. I thought a 'Journalist' would know that... Also, the President, by your own admission earlier in this article, can change classification of data if/when he wants.

"Lavrov’s reaction to the Trump disclosures was muted, officials said, calling for the United States to work more closely with Moscow on fighting terrorism."

So, you're saying that Ambassador Lavrov didn't accept at face value what some politican was telling him? Sounds like a pretty smart guy. No wonder Vladimir Putin picked him to be the Ambasador to the United States.

"Kislyak has figured prominently in damaging stories about the Trump administration’s ties to Russia. Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was forced to resign just 24 days into the job over his contacts with Kislyak and his misleading statements about them. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was forced to recuse himself from matters related to the FBI’s Russia investigation after it was revealed that he had met and spoke with Kislyak, despite denying any contact with Russian officials during his confirmation hearing."

And only at the end do you FINALLY get into something about this 'Russia Scandal' that might actually be real. I'm not sure how much of it should worry me, though. Michael Flynn and Jeff Sessions talked to foreign officials all the time in their previous jobs. That's what you do when you're a high-ranking Federal official like a Senator. For all I know, their not mentioning the meeting with Kislyak might have just been an innocent mistake. Who can possibly remember every person they meet?

I've met Russian people before. You want to investigate me too? I'll tell you everything you want to know. The first time was a bartender that worked in several bars and nightclubs outside of my post in South Korea, Camp Stanley. She sat down with me and a few friends of mine outside of one of the restaurants frequented by American soldiers at this particular base. They were always kind to her because we all knew that she was sick and dying from AIDS. They didn't want her to feel socially isolated.

The second instance was actually a whole family of Russian immigrants that were the in-laws of one of my NCOs when I was stationed at Fort Detrick, MD. I met them several times when I was invited to this NCOs family dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They were all very nice people and absolutely HATED Vladimir Putin. That was the reason why this NCO specifically asked me not to start political conversations at these dinners, which I wouldn't have done anyway. None of the conversations I had with these people involved any kind of military or government business. I never brought it up and they never asked. The only possible exception to that was explaining to them one Christmas that I was wearing my uniform to dinner because I'd have to return to the base early to lower the flag at post headquarters. Want any more details?

There is little, if ANY, attempt at journalistic integrity here. And to think that this paper is often a paper of record for the city of Washington, DC. How are future historians going to be able to figure out what really happened when they most likely won't have accurate sources of information?

My fellow Americans, I think it's safe to say that we (unfortunately) live in some very interesting times.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

I need to go to more garage sales. That is the only conclusion I can draw from what happened early this morning after going to one about 2 blocks away from my house. As one might expect, I went there in search of video games. I usually don't have much luck at garage sales but, you do get surprised every once in a while. Today was one of those glorious surprises.

There were also dozens of DVD's being sold for a Dollar each. I picked up a copy of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. It's a good action flick and I never got around to adding that to my massive movie collection over the years. Who knows how that one slipped through the cracks but, it did. The Homeowner had a few old PC titles on the table, many of which I had already and others I just didn't want. That didn't stop me from buying yet another copy of Ultimate Doom for Windows 95. Always nice to have back-up copies of that game.

I asked the homeowner if they had anything else they'd be willing to sell. He brought out an old milk crate with a 1980 4-switch model Atari 2600, lots of controllers and 78 cartridges! I have never had a 1980 4-switch model before. This nice little score cost me $40. Some of these cartridges are fairly rare and could fetch a nice price on the Resellers market, if I were willing to sell.

Today's score also brings the number of Atari 2600 consoles in my collection to 8 and 242 individual cartridges! (Assuming that they all work...) There are a LOT of duplicates here but, that's OK. They will just become more stock for the retro game store that I want to open someday. A retro game store that is NOT well-stocked with Atari stuff is not a very good retro game store. The demand may have died down a lot over the last 10 years or so but, it is still there.

Here's the list of the cartridges that I got today...

Adventure (Text label)

Air-Sea Battle (Text label)

Amidar (Label needs work.)

Armor Ambush (M Network game)

Asteroids (Sears version)

Barnstorming

Basketball

Battlezone

Berzerk

Bowling

California Games

Centipede

Chopper Command

Circus Atari

Combat (Picture label)

Crackpots

Crossbow

Crystal Castles

Decathalon

Dig Dug

Donkey Kong (Coleco-made cartridge)

Donkey Kong Jr. (Red label)

Dragonfire

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Bleeech!)

Fishing Derby

Football

Football RealSports Soccer

Freeway

Frogger

Galaxian

Ghostbusters

Grand Prix

Haunted House

Ice Hockey

Jungle Hunt

Keystone Kapers

Kung-Fu Master

M.A.S.H.

Maze Craze

Missile Command

Moonsweeper (Blue Label Imagic game)

Mouse Trap

Night Driver

Pac-Man (Sears version)

Pitfall!

Pong Sports

Q*Bert

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Rampage

RealSports Baseball

RealSports Boxing

RealSports Football

RealSports Volleyball

Riddle of the Sphinx

River Raid

River Raid II

Robot Tank

Sea Hunt

Skiing

Super Challenge Baseball (M Network game)

Space Cavern (Label needs work.)

Space Invaders (Text Label)

Stampede

Starmaster

Superman (2 copies)

Target Fun

Tennis

Towering Inferno

Tron Deadly Discs (M Network game)

Vanguard

Venture

Warlords

Winter Games

Yars' Revenge

There's also 3 M Network cartridges that don't have labels on them anymore. However, I have a lot of loose labels that came with these games so, I should be able to figure out what they are during the testing today. Also, I probably won't include that damned E.T. cartridge in my final manifest. That little plastic slice of PURE EVIL will be used for target practice instead.

Such a glorious site, even if I know there's an E.T. cartridge buried in there somewhere...

And now to find more shelving for these additional cartridges and make room in the Game Room of DOOM...

- Lord Publius

UPDATE: 1440 Hours CST

I have now tested the motherload of old games I got from the garage sale earlier today.

The Doom game for PC worked. The Atari 2600 console did too. However, only 20 of the 78 cartridges that did come in this bundle have been made to work so far. The rest are going to need a LOT of Deoxit to remove oxidation on the edge connectors of their logic boards, if they ever work again. The stuff that does work is being added to my manifest as you read this now. Adding these 20 carts to the 2600 collection brings the total number of cartridges for that system up to 184. The closest competitor is the NES, with a total of 146.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

0.) I need ideas/feedback on what to post in this blog. Aspie stories? Re-posting an old tale of mine from Facebook years ago about my AIT experience at Fort Gordon? Something else? Any of those would be preferable to more political posts right now.

1.) Lately, Facebook has been getting really cucked with all this undue censorship. I haven't even been trolling or shitposting anyone. Yet, they still give me shit for various memes I post in a closed group for people who actually get the joke. Looks like someone in that group was an infiltrator that didn't belong. Fortunately, the infiltrators have been found and given the boot.

You're not foolin' me, Zuckerberg.

2.) I'm seriously thinking about taking my shitposting to 4chan (where it most likely belongs) and then use my meme magic to behead that evil dragon that is the Leftist Cancer in American Politics and Culture. No Demonrats, I have not forgotten about how I vowed to DESTROY you in an earlier post from January 24th. Picking on President Trump's son Barron was just too fucking low. YOU NEED TO DIE and be replaced by a new left-wing party that actually embraces/practices Classical Liberalism.

They've already ruined Twitter, which, if we're going to be honest, wasn't really all that difficult of a task. (I fucking hate that site!) They are trying to ass-rape Facebook without even the common courtesy of giving that site a reach-around. However, they can NEVER rape 4chan. It's usually 4chan that's e-raping everyone else. After all, that's where all the truly dankest memes come from...

3.) I had also recently considered joining a website for Aspies and Autistics called 'Wrong Planet' but, decided against it for several reasons. They don't seem like the type to get my shitposting style of humor. Also, the site is giving me a lot of Leftist vibes. That's a no-go. It strikes me as being the kind of site that the infamous 'random' board on 4chan (better known as /b/), would troll the shit out of just for the lulz. Nevermind the irony that many of 4chan's users also happen to be on the Autism Spectrum somewhere. They would still troll the shit out of it just for the lulz.

4.) Speaking of trolling and ass-rape, I still haven't seen or heard anything out of my stalker in a while. Looks like he's gone for good now.

6.) I may turn on the comments for this blog again but, since few ever commented on anything, it may not matter.

7.) Lately, I have been noticing that some people get really pissed off and un-friend you when you don't agree with some of their opinions. Sometimes, it's just the non-sense you'd expect, like politics. As if they could have possibly expected me to agree with some far-left proposition that's totally divorced from anything even remotely related to the real world. Objective Reality trumps idealistic fantasy EVERY time.

Other times, it's some really weird shit like UFO's. No, that isn't a joke. It actually happened. Someone I knew since college keeps trying to convince me that the Feds are up to something weird with secret military aircraft, weather modification and (possibly) alien involvement. As a former Federal government employee, I tried explaining to him several times that the Feds are not that smart. Obviously, my efforts weren't successful.

It's probably just a conventional airplane of some kind...

It's doubtful my efforts would have been successful even if I violated OPSEC and told him something that might be secret. I say 'might be' because I'm not always sure what is supposed to be kept confidential and what is OK to discuss. So, I just don't say anything of substance and rarely talk about the military with anyone. Thankfully, the few that do ask questions are either fellow Vets or VA employees. The things they ask about wouldn't (potentially) violate any Non-Disclosure Agreements, National Security or a unit's mission.

While writing this rambling of various random thoughts, a thought occurred to me on this one. The recent behavior of this individual is a lot like the behavior of another person I got rid of back in February. That person had a long history of substance abuse issues. Sure hope that isn't what's going on with the UFO guy... His alien masters probably wouldn't be too happy about that...

Not to mention why they won't talk to us...

8.) However, sometimes it's me washing my hands of these people. In late 2016, I got rid of 3 people I once knew in the Army. 2 of them were given the boot for being so far left-wing that they had become totally insufferable assholes. One of them had become *quite* intellectually dishonest. The other seemed to be a BLM supporter. I had to draw the line at that because BLM is a damned domestic terror group. I'm not going to be even tangentially involved with that foolishness.

The other got the boot for... well, pretty much the same reason. However, the circumstances were different. He wasn't a Leftist, just one of those types who can't see the forest through the trees. I would sometimes joke about being broke on Facebook and he actually thought I was about to lose my house. How in the world he came to that notion, I do not know. He was also an incredibly arrogant little son of a bitch. He posted some long diatribe in a comment on one of my posts, once again trying to get me to leave New Orleans and quit the Insurance business. I quickly skimmed over it to get the basic idea of that diatribe and then deleted it from my post. He tries posting it again a few moments later. I delete it again and then log out to go to a Bible study at church. When I get back, this asshole posts the same thing again on his own page and tags me in the post. He also sent a brief message, something along the lines of 'Got anything to say?'

Of course, I have the final approval of what I am and am not tagged in so, I denied the tag request. Also, I had nothing further to say to that shithead anymore. I just blocked him from everything on FB that was mine/under my control and never looked back. I can't say if it was his ignorance or his arrogance that angered me more but, I can say that I'm not going to suffer that little fool. I was already planning my eventual departure from the Insurance business, anyway. As of right now, my only involvement in that business is maintaining a few licenses because they make good tax write-offs. Beyond that, I'm essentially done with it all. It's not very stable work and wasn't all that interesting, either.

Also, there's no need for me to ever leave New Orleans again for ANY reason, let alone chasing a Dollar and calling it 'work'. Those days are over. I have a regular source of income now and will be pursuing my new career path soon. (There will be another blog post about that as soon as the final details are in place and the plan is executed.) All of those machinations were in the works at the time too. I just wasn't willing to tell that jackass my personal business. It's not like he had a need to know. So much for a former Soldier knowing when to keep his damned mouth shut and maintain OPSEC.

I'm told by a mutual friend that he was rather pissed by me getting rid of him. I had to explain to her what he was doing and why I would never take any of his suggestions about leaving New Orleans. For so many reasons, this city is where I belong. End of discussion.